Tag: Victorian Crime

  • THE DARK HOLE CLOUGH BABY (1893) | Manchester

    THE DARK HOLE CLOUGH BABY (1893) | Manchester

    “The Burnley Sensation” as it was now becoming known had caused a great stir not only in Burnley but also that of Manchester and not even the hustle and bustle of daily life could conceal the fact that something of unusual importance was about to take place, and on Friday…

  • THE MELANCHOLY OF ALICE ANN FARRAR (1894) | Accrington

    THE MELANCHOLY OF ALICE ANN FARRAR (1894) | Accrington

    Accrington during the mid-to-late 1800’s had managed to find itself immune from murder whilst all around them in places such as Haslingden, Blackburn and Burnley had  for some strange reason found themselves to be hotbeds for crimes that many seemed beyond comprehension. And whilst a serious crime that had resulted…

  • THE DARK HOLE CLOUGH BABY (1893) | Manchester

    THE DARK HOLE CLOUGH BABY (1893) | Manchester

    On Sunday, 6th August 1893, three brothers who resided in Blackley, a small suburb of Manchester that has historically been classed as being in Lancashire, set off from their homes to pick blackberries from nearby Crab Lane.  Their trip however was cut short when a sudden shower caused them to…

  • THE COB CASTLE MURDER (1907) | Haslingden

    THE COB CASTLE MURDER (1907) | Haslingden

    On Monday, 11th March 1907, Thomas Dennison was brought before the magistrates at Haslingden after having been charged on suspicion of murdering his wife, Margaret Dennison at some point during the evening of Saturday, 9th March. Standing before the bench and facing Alderman Hamilton (Chairman) as well as Messrs. Holt,…

  • THE SAD TALE OF MILES WEATHERHILL | Todmorden

    THE SAD TALE OF MILES WEATHERHILL | Todmorden

    The story begins during 1866 when a young Miles Weatherhill, a weaver who lived with his mother and sister on Back Brook Street, Todmorden, fell in love with Sarah Bell, a cook working for the Reverend Anthony John Plow at the local vicarage. A self-educated, well groomed, smart looking man,…

  • THE TRAGIC TALE OF EMILY HOLLAND (1876) | Blackburn

    THE TRAGIC TALE OF EMILY HOLLAND (1876) | Blackburn

    *This article has been updated and re-uploaded. It was originally added to our site on the 25th July 2020 and was the very first episode to have appeared here. In today’s story, we are traveling back to Tuesday, the 20th of March, 1876, until the industrial town of Blackburn in…

  • BUTCHERING A PARAMOUR (1893) | Burnley

    BUTCHERING A PARAMOUR (1893) | Burnley

    It’s true to say that the North West of England and Lancashire in particular has had its fair share when it comes to days of horror. From murderous wives to the slaughtering of innocent children – Lancashire has definitely seen some of the worst atrocities inflicted upon men, women and…

  • THE OAKENHEAD WOOD TRAGEDY (1853) | Haslingden

    THE OAKENHEAD WOOD TRAGEDY (1853) | Haslingden

    On the afternoon of Monday, 12th September 1853, Jane Collinge made her way to the home of 31 year old Elizabeth Cunliffe, her step-daughter, fearing that something terrible may have happened since they last spoke the previous day. Elizabeth had suffered from severe depression since the birth of her daughter…

  • A WATCH AGAINST A LIFE (1902) | Haslingden

    A WATCH AGAINST A LIFE (1902) | Haslingden

    Children appearing in youth or crown courts in Wales and England cannot be named if they are under the age of 18, apart from exceptional circumstances as the European Convention on Human Rights says that all children have a right to privacy and a family life – which basically means…